Stanchion.



STANCHION. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23, I917.

Patented May 7,1918.

rns Parisian lt y HERBERT H. DREW, 0F WATERLOO, WISGONSIN.

STANGHION.

. incisor.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 1915..

Application filed March 23, 1917. Serial No. 156,821.

improvements in cattle stanchions, particularly to that type wherein. all of the neck bars or yokes may be simultaneously actuated to permit all the animals held thereby to be released at one time.

One of the practical disadvantages of devices of this character which are now on the market lies in the fact that under certain conditions it is extremely ditlicult to operate the mechanism which simultaneously releases the animals. For instance, in case of fire the cattle become greatly agitated and more or less unruly, and in struggling to release themselves they greatly retard the operator in his endeavors to actuate the releasing mechanism. In some such cases it has been impossible to release the animals in time to prevent their' injury by the fire.

The present invention is designed to overcome this diiliculty; in fact the struggles of the animals to release themselves are utilized in my device to aid the operator in releasing them.

Another important obj set of my invention is to provide a stanchionhaving means for simultaneously operating any number of neck yokes, yet being at the same time soconstructed that one or more yokes may be re: leased without operation of the releasing means or in any way interfering with the position of the parts of the others.

A still further objectis to provide, a device of this character equipped with means for holding one or more of the neck-bars or yokes together when the others are simultaneously released. V

Another object of the invention isv to greatly simplify the entire structure and operation so as to not only render the same more eilicient, but also to make it more sanital l i l Vith the above and many other objects in view the invention resides in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed, and shown in the drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a pair of stanchions constructed in accordance with my invention, parts being broken away and in section to more clearly illustrate certain parts,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1, the same being in slightly different position than shown therein, and y Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the several.

figures of the drawing, wherein similar reference characters denote like parts, it will:

be seen that the numeral 1 designates a plurality of stall posts extending from and preferably rigidly secured in the concrete base or bed 2 of a manger, their upper ends being provided with supporting heads 3 on which are secured a pair of longitudinally spaced angle metal bars 4C. These parts together with a plurality of bracing posts 5 form the frame which carry the stanchions 6.

Each of the stanchions 6 comprises a pair of neck or yoke bars 7-the upper and lower ends of each of which are bent inwardly as at 8 and then extended outwardly substans tiallyparallel to the main portions thereof as shown at 9 and 10. The ends 9 are adapted. to be adjustably mounted in the base2, preferably in. the manner shown in my U. Patent Number 1,209,687, granted December 26, 1916.

The upper ends 10 are disposed for slid ing movement between the angle bars 4:, the

vertical portions thereof being opposed and spaced apart a distance substantially.

equal the thickness of the neck bars. "By ;)ivoting the lower end of each neck bar it will be seenthat the upper ends will tend to move away from each other unless restrained, this movement being caused bythe position of the major portion of the weight I of each bar as shown in Fig. 1. Excessive movement of the neck bars away from each.

other is prevented by the stop strips 11 each extending across the channel forced between the angle bars 4:, and the same hold said bars rigidly together intermediate their connection with the heads 3. The dis-- permit the head of a cow or other animal strip 12 disposed between each pair of neck also serve to r tance between each pair of the stop strips 1.1 f a is great enough to allow the neck bars to move apart a suflicient distance to readily 1 to be inserted therebetween. A single stop-e bars hold the same centrally of the stall in which they are disposed when the means to be hereinafter particularly described causes the neck-bars to be moved toward each other.

On each of the horizontal flanges al of the angle bars 4 and in engagement with the vertical flanges thereof is slidably disposed a flat bar 18, the same extending sub stantially throughout the length of the bars 1. These bars 13 are adapted to have the holding means for the neck-bars secured thereto. Adjacent the end of each bar 13 isformed an ear 1%, the ear of one bar being closer to the end than the other and adapted to have a relatively short link 15 pivoted thereto, the other car having a longer link 16 pivoted at one end thereto.

The other or outer ends of these links 15 of this lever facilitate its movement, it being adapted to cause the sliding bars 13 to be moved in opposite directions. The curved portions of the links 15 and 16 extend inwardly a suflicient extent to permit the lever to be moved in one direction past a dead center so that ordinaryforce applied to the sliding bars will not actuate said lever.

Movement of the sliding bars 13 causes the'plurality of latch .plates 20 carried thereby to be moved toward or away from the neck-bars 7. Each of these latch plates is substantially inverted U-shaped in. crosssection, the arms being;v suliicient distance apart to readily straddle the vertical flanges 4? and the sliding bars, said plates thus holding said bars 13 in operative position. A. pair oft-he latch plates are provided for each pairof neck-bars, and one of each pair is pivoted to one of the sliding bars 13 by means of an car 21 opposite to that to which the other is similarly connected. In this manner reciprocation of the sliding bars causes the latch plates of each pair to be moved'toward or away from each other depending upon the direction of movement of the lever 17.

The inner end of each latch plate has a downwardly inclined finger 22 extending between the vertical flanges 4 said fingers being adapted to engage the ends 10 of the neck-bars to move the same toward each other. These ends 10 normally rest against said fingers 22 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, these parts being in engagement both, when in'locked'and in unlocked position. When the lever 17 is moved transversely of the bars 4 as in Fig. 2 the sliding bars 13 will have been reciprocated in such a manner that the latch plates 20will be separated their greatest extent and thus permit the neck-bars to -fall apart. During the out wardni'oveme-nt of the latch plates the ends 10 of the neck-bars follow the lingers 22 and rest against the same when the movement of the parts ceases. In this manner all of the stanchions are simultaneously opened to permit the cattle held thereby to be released. If it is desired to retain certain of the animals in their stalls a substantially U-shaped clip 23 is dropped over the ends 10 of those pairs of neck yokes which hold said animals. Actuation of the lever 17 will thus have no effect upon these yokes held together by the clips 23.

On the other hand it might be necessary 'to release only one of the animals held in their stalls by these improved stanchions, in which case the latch plates 20 which lock the neck-bars retaining this animal are lifted as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. This movement of the latch plates, of course. moves their fingers 22 out of engagement with the ends 10 of the neck-bars 20 and thereby allows said bars to separate until the ends 10 engage the stop strips 11 as in the above mentioned figure.

Assuming that the parts are in the last described position, that is with the majority of the yokes in active position and one pair of neck-bars spaced apart, and it is desired to again secure the. animal by the last mentioned bars, said animal is caused 9 to move'into the empty stall until its head is between said separated pair of neck-bars whereupon these bars are moved towau each other until. their ends 10 engage the stop strip 12. In moving the ends together they will engage the fingers 22 and ride beneath the same until the latch plates again drop down and the fingers engage the outer sides of the ends as will appear from the stanchion shown in the right hand portion of Fig. 1;

In case none of the pairs of neck-bars have been, released by operation of the lever 17 it is obvious that the movement of the sliding bars 13 will carry the latch plates, which have been previously lifted to open one ofthe yokes, until their fingers ride over the ends 10, and thus dispose them in engagement with the outer surfaces thereof.

- All of the pairs of the neck-bars will then be in posit-ion to be readily forced toward each other when the lever 17 is moved into a position longitudinal of the bars 4:. Continued movement of the lever in the same direction will cause it to be moved past a dead center as in Fig. 3, therebv locking the parts against accidental release.

As hereinbefore mentioned the animals held by the neck-bars will, under certain conditions, struggle to release themselves so that with stanchions of ordinary construction it is impossible, or nearly so, to operate the re leasing mechanism. The struggling of the animals would move the neck-bars apart if they were not tightly held together by suitable means. In the present case as soon as the lever 17 has been moved past a dead center it is impossible to move the latch plates away from each other merely by exerting a forcein opposite directions on the neck-bars of each yoke. But, as soon as the lever 17 has been moved into a position wherein its longitudinal axis will be parallel to a longitudinal plane of the bars l, the neck-ha rs will quickly spring apart if force is applied thereto. In view of this arrangement it is obvious that in case of fire all of the animals could be very quickly and easily released even though they struggled vio lently.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing it will be seen that a very simply constructed stanchion has been produced, which, while being formed of a relatively few number of parts, will be very efficient in operation. Various changes may be made in the form and size of the various parts to'permit them to be used with various kinds of domestic animals.

I claim:

1. A device of the class described, com prising a pair of neck bars, one being movable toward and away from the other, a stationary guide bar, a sliding bar movable on said guide bar, a pivoted latch plate straddling said guide bar and sliding bar, and

means for holding the sliding bar in one position to retain said latch plate is operative position, the end of said latch plate engaging thenmovable neck bar and holding it against movement when the same is adjacent the other neck bar, the movable neck bar also being slidable with respect to the latch plate when spaced from the other neck bar.

A device of the class described comprising a frame having a pair of spaced stationary guide bars, a pair of neck bars, one being movable toward and away from the other between said spaced guide bars, a latch plate straddling said guide bars, and means for holding the latch plate in operative position, the end of said latch plate engaging the movable neck bar and holding it against movement when the same is adjacent the other neck bar, the movable neck bar also being slidable with respect to the latch plate when spaced from the other neck bar.

3. A device of the class described, comprising a frame including a pair of spaced stationary guide bars, a pair of neck bars movable toward and away from each other between said guide bars, a pair of pivoted latch plates straddling said guide bars, and

prising a frame including a pair of spaced stationary guide bars, a pair of neck-bars movable toward and away from each other between said guide bars, a pair of latch plates straddling said guide bars, and movable in opposite directions, and fingers eX- tending from the adjacent ends of said latch plates, said fingers being disposed between said guide bars to engage the neck-bars and hold the same together.

5. A device of the class described comprising a frame having a pair of spaced stationary angle bars, their vertical sides being parallel, a pair of neck bars, one of said bars being movable toward and away from the other, their upper ends being disposed between said stationary angle bars, a sliding bar movable on the horizontal side of one of said angle bars, a latch plate for retaining the movable neck bar adjacent the other, said plate being pivoted to said sliding bar nd adapted to straddle said sliding barand the vertical side of the adjacent angle bar, and to slide on the latter, and means for moving the sliding bar in either direction.

0. A device of the class described comprising a pair of stationary spaced guide bars, a plurality of pairs of neck bars, the bars of each pair being movable toward and away from each other, the upper ends of said pairs of neck bars being slidably disposed between the spaced guide bars, holding means adapted to engage on the end of said neck bars to retain the same in active position, a U- shaped clip to be disposed. over the upper ends of one of said pairs of neck bars between the guide bars, and means for simultaneously releasing the holding means to permit the bars of each pair of neck bars to move away from each other, the pair of neck bars engaged by said U-shaped clip being held against movement.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Edgerton, in the county of Rock and State of Wisconsin. in the presence of two witnesses.

HERBERT H. DREW.

Vitnesses H. C. SGIIMELING, CHAS. Lnnnnow.

topics at this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommisstoner at Patents,

Washington, D. t. 

